Beware of melodrama from "summary" of Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition by Renni Browne,Dave King
Melodrama is the kind of writing that tries too hard to manipulate the reader's emotions. It's the kind of writing that tells the reader how to feel. It's the kind of writing that uses larger-than-life characters, contrived situations, and over-the-top emotions to try to make the reader care. Melodrama confuses sentiment with sentimentality. It tells the reader to feel sorry for a character instead of showing the reader why they should feel sorry. It tells the reader to like a character instead of creating a character that the reader can't help but like. It tells the reader to be happy for a character instead of creating a situation that makes the reader happy. Melodrama often resorts to clichés because it's easier to tell the reader what to feel than to show them. Melodrama is easy. It's cheap. It's writing by the numbers. It doesn't respect the reader's intelligence. It doesn't respect the reader's emotions. Melodrama is the writing equivalent of a laugh track. It's the writing equivalent of a soap opera. It's the writing equivalent of a Lifetime movie. It's the writing equivalent of a Harlequin romance. It's the writing equivalent of a summer blockbuster. It's the writing equivalent of a daytime talk show. It's the writing equivalent of a reality TV show. It's the writing equivalent of a supermarket tabloid. It's the writing equivalent of a cheap thrill. It's the writing equivalent of junk food. It's the writing equivalent of empty calories. Melodrama is the writing equivalent of a bad actor chewing the scenery. It's the writing equivalent of a bad singer hitting all the wrong notes. It's the writing equivalent of a bad painter throwing every color on the canvas. It's the writing equivalent of a bad chef dumping every spice in the pot. Melodrama is the writing equivalent of a bad comedian resorting to fart jokes. It's the writing equivalent of a bad magician resorting to pulling a rabbit out of a hat. It's the writing equivalent of a bad politician resorting to fear-mongering. It's the writing equivalent of a bad ad executive resorting to sex appeal. It's the writing equivalent of a bad preacher resorting to fire and brimstone. It's the writing equivalent of a bad therapist resorting to shock tactics. It's the writing equivalent of a bad parent resorting to guilt trips. It's the writing equivalent of a bad lover
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